Adjustable waist band construction



Dec. 14, 1965 w. F. FARAH ADJUSTABLE WAIST BAND CONSTRUCTION Filed 001'.. 19. 1961 INVENTOR ZfZZZzzZv/wa/Q, 7% iff/M @M ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,222,686 ADJUSTABLE WAIST BAND CONSTRUCTION William F. Farah, Farah Bldg., El Paso, Tex. Filed Oct. 19, 1961, Ser. No. 146,202 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-237) This invention relates to trousers and the like garments, and in particular to a device for adjusting the waist baud size. Such adjustment is import-ant of consider-ation from several standpoints, including the adaptability of the ga-rment to different users, and size changes in the case of any given individual, and adjustability may also, in most cases, obviate the need for waist band alterations in the retail trade.

In connection with this problem many proposals have been advanced, but for the most part these have been concerned with construction which is either complex or expensive, or both, and which lacks permanence and reliability -of operation. In addition, such devices have been unsightly, or have occasioned discomfort to the users.

It is therefore a prime object of the present invention to provide a waist band adjustment which is concealed from View, and a related object is to accomplish such adjustment without attendant discomfort to the user.

Other objects include the provision of an .adjustment device which is simple of construction, easy of manufacture, low in cost, rugged and durable, and reliable in operation.

These and other objects which will be apparent are at- 4tained by the present invention, which may be briefly described as comprising a tab, anchored at one end to the inner lining at the waist section of a pair of trousers, and carrying, at its other end, a headed unit of a snap fastener, with the head extending from the inside of the tab toward the trouser lining, so as to be directed .away from the -body of the user, and the said lining carrying a pair of spaced sockets or female elements, for alternative reception of the said head.

For a more detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the following specification, as illustrated in the drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the upper, or seat and waist portion, of a trouser garment, showing the pair of interiorly disposed tabs, at the hip regions,

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view, in elevation of one of the tabs, enlarged, as seen from within the garment,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, there is shown a conventional trouser garment 10, having side pockets 12, 14 and rear pockets 16, 18. Since all novel features of the invention are included in the waist band area, all further description will be confined `to that zone.

To compensate for the absence of a belt, both in appearance as well as in stiffness, strength and comfort, a portion of the waist band, -on the front side, on both sides of the fly 20, is provided with reinforced sections 22, 24, formed by folding strips of the trouser material over the top edges so as to hang down on both the outside and inside, being secured near the lower edges by lines of stitching 26. The section 24 overl-aps the section 22 in a tab 28, which carries extra snap fasteners for greater security.

Between the ends 28, 30 of the simulated belt section, the balance, or rearward, portion of the wais-t section is plain on the outside, and has the usual, depending skirt liner 32 on the inside. As seen in FIGURE 4, liner 32 is folded at the bottom to provide double walls, including a hidden, back wall 34, and the lower edge of the liner is ICC folded on itself in a reinforcing hem 36, secured by stitching 38. The free, upper ends of the skirt liner engage opposite sides of the downwardly folded section 40` of the top edge of the trouser material, being secured by a line of stitching 42, the top edge of the exposed side of the liner being folded in a strip 44, for reinforcement. Also secured by the stitching 42, is the upper portion of the inner wall of the back pocket 18, the upper edge thereof being downwardly folded in a strip 46, which enfolds the upper edge of the back wall 34 of the liner skirt.

Liner skirt 32 serves to mount the girth-adjusting unit, and the female elements 48 of the snap fasteners are carried directly on the liner skirt, being located in pairs, on opposite sides of the garment, in the hip regions. For mounting, the double walls of liner 32 ar-e perforated to receive the central Shanks of the female elements, and on the under side of the liner folded strips of fabric 50 are also received on the Shanks, through suitable perfo-rations, and serve as reinforcements, for retaining the elements against the -abrupt forces involved in separating the fasteners.

The single male element on each side is ca-rried by a tab 52, which, although formed from a single strip of fabric, has a minimum thickness consisting of four` layers of the fabric. As seen in FIGURE 5, the two side edges of the fabric strip are folded to provide a pair of inner, wall sections 54, 56, overlapping at the middle of the strip where they are secured by a line of stitching 58, and the lresulting double-walled piece is folded end-for-end, about its middle 60 (FIGURE 3), resulting in the four-walled tab. In fact, along the middle line, where the strain is greatest, the tab is six-walled, due to the overlap at the line of stitching. The end 62 of tab 52 opposite the folded end 60 is sewed in place by the same line of stitching 64 securing the side seam 66 of the trousers, and this stitching also anchors the folded, terminal end 68 of the liner skirt 32, which overlies the anchored end 62 of the tab. Near folded end 60, the tab 52 is perforated to receive the central shank 70 of the male element 71 of the snap fastener, the head 72 of the latter being located so that when the tab is folded upon itself, 4as at 74, for fastening engagement of the tab, the head 72 extends in the direction of the female elements 48. In this position the head is also directed away from the body of the user, and since the head will always be engaged in one or the other of the female elements, discomfort to the user is avoided at all times. The one female element which is exposed at times does not, Of course, extend, and is therefore no cause for annoyance or discomfort.

In normal use, the head of the fastener will be secured in the nearest female element, and this leaves the normal girth of the waist band unchanged. If a reduction in girth becomes necessary, for any reason, one or both of the heads 72 may be withdrawn and reinserted in the more remote female element, which results in taking up the necessary slack, but in a location and manner, and degree which render the change unnoticeable. Obviously the tab may vary in length, and the spacing and number of female elements may be varied Within reasonable limits. Also, the particular form of fastener is not the only form in which the benefits of the invention will be manifest.

It will be evident from the foregoing that there has been provided a waist adjustment feature which employs headed fasteners internally of the waist portion, where, although attaining the benefits of concealment, all discomfort to the user is obviated. The arrangement shown also provides for ready manipulation and reliability in functioning, while providing optimum degrees of adjustment over a useful range. In addition, these results are attained in a fastener arrangement carried on a sturdy and reliable, as Well as flexible tab, which is of minimum complexity of manufacture, and possessed of attendant economy.

Generally speaking, although a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, various modifications will be apparent, in the light of this disclosure, and the invention should not, therefore, be deemed as limited, except insofar as shall appear from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a trouser garment, an interior skirt in the waist portion comprising a double-walled length of fabric with free upper edges enclosing the inwardly folded top edge of the garment and secured thereto in a line of stitching, the bottom of said skirt folded in a hem, secured by stitching, a plurality of female, fastener elements secured in openings in said skirt, in spaced relation peripherally of said waist portion, adjacent the side seam of the garment, a tab at each side of the garment, with one end inserted between an end of said skirt and the outer material of the garment, and secured by the stitching of said side seams, and a male fastener element carried by each tab, and located for selective engagement in said female elements when the tab is folded over the edge of and along said skirt, said tabs comprising a single strip of fabric with side edges folded laterally inwardly in overlapping relation, and secured by stitching along the region of overlap, and folded lengthwise about a middle line, transverse the length of the strip, the said male element being located at the folded end of said tab.

2. In a trouser garment, an interior skirt in the waist portion comprising a double-walled length of fabric with free upper edges enclosing the inwardly folded top edge of the garment and secured thereto in a line of stitching, a plurality of female, fastener elements secured in openings in said skirt, in spaced relation peripherally of said waist portion, a tab at each side of the garment, with one end inserted between an end of said skirt and the outer material of the garment, and a male fastener element carried by each tab, and located for selective engagement in said female elements when the tab is folded over the edge of and along said skirt, said tabs comprising a single strip of fabric with side edges folded laterally inwardly and folded lengthwise about a middle line, transverse the length of the strip.

3. In a trouser garment, an inner, depending skirt, of limited length, in the waist band, a plurality of female fastener elements secured to said skirt in spaced relation peripherally of the waist band, a tab with one end secured beneath an end portion of said skirt, a male fastener element carried by said tab and located for selective engagement in said female elements, when the tab is folded over the end edge of, and along said skirt, said tab comprising a single strip of fabric with side edges folded laterally inwardly and folded lengthwise about a middle line, transverse the length of the strip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,071,353 8/1913 Schneider 2 237 X 1,185,914 6/1916 Klein 2-237 2,217,517 10/ 1940 Lances 2-238 2,398,258 4/ 1946 Seegal 2-115 2,560,363 7/ 1951 Navasky 2-236 2,618,783 11/1952 King 2-237 X 2,971,199 2/1961 Kozobarich 2-93 2,999,246 9/ 1961 Rowan 2-237 X ROBERT V. SLOAN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS J. HICKEY, DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY,

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiners. 

1. IN A TROUSER GARMENT, AN INTERIOR SKIRT IN THE WAIST PORTION COMPRISING A DOUBLE-WALLED LENGTH OF FABRIC WITH FREE UPPER EDGES ENCLOSING THE INWARDLY FOLDED TOP EDGE OF THE GARMENT AND SECURED THERETO IN A LINE OF STITCHING, THE BOTTOM OF SAID SKIRT FOLDED IN A HEM, SECURED BY STITCHING, A PLURALITY OF FEMALE, FASTENER ELEMENTS SECURED IN OPENINGS IN SAID SKIRT, IN SPACED RELATION PERIPHERALLY OF SAID WAIST PORTION, ADJACENT THE SIDE SEAM OF THE GARMENT, A TAB AT EACH SIDE OF THE GARMENT, WITH ONE END INSERTED BETWEEN AN END OF SAID SKIRT AND THE OUTER MATERIAL OF THE GARMENT, AND SECURED BY THE STITCHING OF SAID SIDE SEAMS, AND A MALE FASTENER ELEMENT CARRIED BY EACH TAB, AND LOCATED FOR SELECTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN SAID FEMALE ELEMENTS WHEN THE TAB IS FOLDED OVER THE EDGE OF AND ALONG SAID SKIRT, SAID TABS COMPRISING A SINGLE STRIP OF FABRIC WITH SAID EDGES FOLDED LATERALLY INWARDLY IN OVERLAPPING RELATION, AND SECURED BY STITCHING ALONG THE REGION OF OVERLAP, AND FOLDED LENGTHWISE ABOUT A MIDDLE LINE, TRANSVERSE THE LENGTH OF THE STRIP, THE SAID MALE ELEMENT BEING LOCATED AT THE FOLDED END OF SAID TAB. 